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Willie Thomas Herrod, better known as Pete, passed away on Friday, November 7, 2025, at MS Care Center in Raleigh.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Kathryn Jo Shepherd Herrod; siblings, Mary Langford (El), Margie Gilmore (Ray), Caroline Rahrer, and Juanita Belt.
Pete is survived by his children, Marilyn Gilliam (Dwayne) and WT Herrod Jr (Christi); siblings Liz Henderson (Ed), Rose Simmons (Steve), John Larsen (Kathleen), Brenda Jayroe (Larry), Oley Smith (Rita), Ruth Heath (Jesse), Diane Cargile (Donald), and Ben Ashworth (Esther); grandchildren Christopher Silverman (Kim), Cheyenne Lamon (Josh) and Chloe Smith, and great-grandchild Ellie Silverman.
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Born in December 1946, Pete was 78 years old. One of thirteen children, Pete took responsibility at an early age. After his siblings were separated from home, he dropped out of school—lying about his age—and worked from around 13 or 14 years old so he could support himself and make sure his siblings and cousins had clothes and supplies to finish their education. Pete valued education and family deeply. He believed in offering a hand up instead of hand-outs and stressed the importance of helping others while maintaining self-reliance.
Throughout his life, Pete farmed—the family recalls him driving a tractor alone at just two years old, a story now verified by several relatives. He was a long-distance truck driver, a self-taught welder, and helped his brother with dirt-work businesses. As foreman at an asphalt plant, he taught himself every aspect of the job, from construction and deconstruction to creating and laying asphalt. Pete was forced into retirement at age 67, having postponed it repeatedly, and suffered a stroke less than six months later.
Pete found joy in mechanical work and took great pride in both the process and the finished product; he built a motor for one sister and rebuilt an uncle’s transmission. As a caretaker, he once drove nearly six hours one way to help a family member stranded en route from the Houston, TX area.
Work was Pete’s greatest passion—he was truly a workaholic. He even joked that whether or not he’d walk his child down the aisle depended on his work schedule. At family reunions, he crafted small gifts from spare parts for the brother/sister drawing. He enjoyed cooking for people at Thanksgiving.
Visitation will be held on Wednesday, November 12, 2025, at Tutor Funeral Home in Mendenhall, MS from 9:30 am until 10:30 am. The graveside service will be at Floral Hills Memorial Gardens in Pearl, MS at 2:30 pm with interment following.
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